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{{redirect|Kwarteng|the name|Kwarteng (surname)}}
{{Infobox MP
{{short description|British politician (born 1975)}}
| honorific-prefix =
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
| name = Kwasi Kwarteng
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
| honorific-suffix = MP
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| honorific-prefix = ]
| alt =
| name = Kwasi Kwarteng
| constituency_MP = ]
| honorific-suffix =
| parliament = United Kingdom
| image = Kwasi Kwarteng Official Cabinet Portrait, September 2022 (cropped) 2.jpg
| majority = 10,019 (21.18%)
| caption = Official portrait, 2022
| predecessor = ]
| office = ]
| successor =
| primeminister = ]
| term_start = ]
| term_start = 6 September 2022
| term_end =
| term_end = 14 October 2022
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|05|26|df=yes}}
| predecessor = ]
<ref>{{cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/35251.stm
| successor = ]
|title=Kwasi Kwarteng MP
| office1 = ]
|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Democracy Live |date= |accessdate=25 July 2010}}</ref>
| birth_place = ] | primeminister1 = ]
| term_start1 = 8 January 2021
| death_date =
| term_end1 = 6 September 2022
| death_place =
| predecessor1 = ]
| nationality = British
| successor1 = ]
| spouse =
{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Junior ministerial offices<br />{{nobold|2018–2021}}
| party = ]
|titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| relations =
| office2 = ]
| children =
| primeminister2 = Boris Johnson
| residence =
| term_start2 = 24 July 2019
| alma_mater = ]<br>]
| term_end2 = 8 January 2021
| occupation =
| predecessor2 = ]{{efn|name=fna|Perry went on leave of absence from 20 May 2019 with ] taking over in the interim until he was replaced by Kwarteng when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.energylivenews.com/2019/05/21/energy-minister-claire-perry-takes-leave-of-absence/|title=Energy Minister Claire Perry takes leave of absence|website=Energy Live News|date=21 May 2019 |access-date=5 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/chris-skidmore | title=The Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP }}</ref>}}<!--No need to edit the wikilink, per ]-->
| profession =
| successor2 = ]
| religion =
| office3 = ]
| signature =
| primeminister3 = ]
| signature_alt =
| term_start3 = 16 November 2018
| website =
| term_end3 = 24 July 2019
| footnotes =
| predecessor3 = ]
| successor3 = ''Office abolished''
{{Collapsed infobox section end}}
}} }}
| office4 = ]<br />for ]
| term_start4 = 6 May 2010
| term_end4 = 30 May 2024
| predecessor4 = ]
| successor4 = ]
| majority4 =
| birth_name = Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1975|05|26}}
| birth_place = London, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = ]
| spouse = {{marriage|Harriet Edwards|December 2019}}
| children = 1
| alma_mater = ] (], ])<!--trinity college doesn't award degrees-->
| module = {{Infobox academic
| child = yes
| thesis_title = The political thought of the recoinage crisis of 1695–7
| thesis_url = https://idiscover.lib.cam.ac.uk/permalink/f/16u99e0/44CAM_ALMA21432595810003606
| thesis_year = 2000
}}
| website = {{url|kwasi4spelthorne.org.uk|Campaign website}}
| signature = Kwasi Kwarteng signature.svg
| education = ]
| module2 = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Kwasi Kwarteng promotes The Growth Plan.ogg|title=Kwasi Kwarteng's voice|type=speech|description=Kwarteng promotes The Growth Plan, dubbed a "]" by the media<br/>Recorded 29 September 2022}}
}}
'''Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng''' (born 26 May 1975)<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59418 |date=13 May 2010 |page=8745}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/35251.stm |title=Kwasi Kwarteng MP |work=BBC Democracy Live |publisher=] |access-date=25 July 2010 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101548/http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/35251.stm }}</ref> is a British politician who served as the ] from September to October 2022 under ] and the ] from 2021 to 2022 under ]. A member of the ], he was the ] (MP) for ] in ] from 2010 to 2024.


Kwarteng was born in ] to ] immigrant parents and was educated at ], ] and the ] where he was a student at ]. He worked as a columnist for '']'' and as a ] before standing for election to the ]. As a ], Kwarteng co-authored a number of papers and books, including '']'' (2011) and '']'' (2012). In November 2018, Kwarteng was appointed ] by ]. After May resigned in 2019, Kwarteng supported Boris Johnson's ]. Following Johnson's appointment as prime minister, he appointed Kwarteng as the ]. In January 2021, Kwarteng was promoted to the office of ], a role he retained throughout the remainder of Johnson's premiership.
Dr '''Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng'''<ref>http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/59418/notices/1118281/from=2010-05-06;to=2010-05-19;all=returned+westminster/</ref> (born 26 May 1975 in London<ref name="staines news">, Staines News, 25 January 2010</ref>) is a British ] politician. After the retirement of Conservative MP ], Kwarteng was elected as ] (MP) for ] in ] in the ], winning the seat with 22,261 votes and a majority of 10,019.<ref name="elected">, BBC News, 7 May 2010</ref>


After Johnson resigned in 2022, Kwarteng supported Truss's bid to become Conservative leader. Following Truss's appointment as prime minister, she appointed Kwarteng as Chancellor of the Exchequer, becoming the first black chancellor.<ref name=":2">{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-first-black-chancellor-kwasi-kwarteng/amp/ | title=Britain has its first Black chancellor — but don't make a thing of it | date=6 September 2022|website=] |first=Emilio|last=Casalicchio}}</ref> On 23 September, Kwarteng announced various tax cuts in a ] that was widely criticised and which caused the ] to fall to its lowest-ever level against the ]. Kwarteng was dismissed as chancellor on 14 October after 38 days, making him the second-shortest-serving holder of the office. He was succeeded by ], who was retained by ] following Truss's resignation on 25 October. Kwarteng stood down as an MP at the ].
==Early life==
Kwarteng was born in London. His parents migrated to the UK from ] as students in the 1960s.<ref name="website"></ref>


==Early life and education==
He attended ] as a ], and then read classics and history at ].<ref name="tdb"/> He was a member of the winning ] team in 1995, in the first series after the programme was revived by the BBC in 1994.<ref name="website"/><ref>, Sean Blanchflower.</ref> He completed a ] in Economic History at ].<ref name="tdb"></ref>
Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng was born in the ] on 26 May 1975,<ref name="x3">{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/challenging-brief-for-cabinet-new-boy-kwasi-kwarteng-vj9p6jz5r |work=The Sunday Times |title=Challenging brief for cabinet new boy Kwasi Kwarteng |date=16 January 2021 |access-date=25 September 2022 |last=Collingridge |first=John |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116184825/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/challenging-brief-for-cabinet-new-boy-kwasi-kwarteng-vj9p6jz5r |issn=0140-0460 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}</ref> the only child<ref name="Amiable geek">{{cite news |last1=Ellery |first1=Ben |title=Kwasi Kwarteng: The 'amiable geek' set to be UK's next chancellor |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-the-amiable-geek-set-to-be-uks-next-chancellor-2bw6lh2c3 |access-date=26 August 2022 |work=The Times |date=26 August 2022 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=30 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830161358/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-the-amiable-geek-set-to-be-uks-next-chancellor-2bw6lh2c3 |url-status=live}}</ref> of Alfred K. Kwarteng and Charlotte Boaitey-Kwarteng, who had both emigrated from ] as students in the 1960s.<ref name="staines news"> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724162602/http://www.stainesnews.co.uk/staines-and-ashford-news/news-staines-and-ashford/2010/01/25/tories-adopt-black-boris-as-candidate-54472-25680078/ |date=24 July 2011}}, ''Staines News'', 25 January 2010.</ref><ref name="website">{{cite web |url=http://www.kwart2010.com/about/ |title=Biography |publisher=Kwart2010.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510223513/http://www.kwart2010.com/about/ |archive-date=10 May 2010}} Archived at archive.org 10 July 2010.</ref> His mother is a ]<ref>{{cite web |title='2 out of 12 at 100' – Marking 100 years of Women in Law |url=https://www.lmh.ox.ac.uk/events/2-out-12-100-marking-100-years-women-law |publisher=Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford |access-date=12 October 2021 |archive-date=29 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029171543/https://www.lmh.ox.ac.uk/events/2-out-12-100-marking-100-years-women-law |url-status=live}}</ref> and his father an economist in the ].<ref name="website"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Kwasi Kwarteng: The rising star of politics and letters |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2011/jul/31/observer-profile-kwasi-kwarteng |newspaper=The Observer |date=31 July 2011 |first=Sunder |last=Katwala |access-date=4 September 2019 |archive-date=4 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904070540/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2011/jul/31/observer-profile-kwasi-kwarteng |url-status=live}}</ref>


After starting school at a state primary school in Waltham Forest,<ref name="Neate" /> Kwarteng was then privately educated, firstly attending ], an independent preparatory school in London, where he won the ] in 1988.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-big-brain-big-mouth-big-tory-future-on-hold-zn0zpv0mt9w |title=Kwasi Kwarteng: Big brain, big mouth, big Tory future on hold |last=Kinchen |first=Rosie |date=4 May 2014 |work=The Sunday Times |access-date=2 October 2019 |issn=0956-1382 |archive-date=2 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002204024/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-big-brain-big-mouth-big-tory-future-on-hold-zn0zpv0mt9w |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Prior to becoming an MP, Kwarteng worked as an analyst for hedge fund manager ].<ref name="times">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article696213.ece Power couple behind the new Tory throne, The Times, 26 March 2006</ref> He is writing a book, ''Ghosts of Empire'', about the legacy of the ], to be published by ] in 2010.<ref name="website"/>


Kwarteng continued his private education at ], where he was a ] and was awarded the ] prize.<ref name=Neate>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/11/kwasi-kwarteng-the-business-bringing-spark-to-the-energy-crisis |work=The Guardian |title=Kwasi Kwarteng: the business secretary bringing spark to the energy crisis |date=11 October 2021 |access-date=24 September 2022 |last=Neate |first=Rupert |archive-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924112825/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/11/kwasi-kwarteng-the-business-bringing-spark-to-the-energy-crisis |url-status=live}}</ref>
==Political career==
He was Conservative candidate for ] at the ], but was beaten into a distant third place by the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP ], who had won the seat after in a ], and Labour challenger ]. Kwarteng was chairman of the ] in 2005-6. In 2006, ''The Times'' suggested that he could become the first black Conservative ].<ref name="times"/> He was sixth on the Conservative list of candidates for the ] in ].


He then studied ] and ] at the ] as a student of ], matriculating in 1993. He achieved a double ],<ref name="upsetting" /><ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005101752/https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/TRINITY-2021-AR-web-singles-2021-2221-1.pdf |date=5 October 2022 }} – website of ]</ref><ref name=Neate/> and twice won the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/conservatives/2022/09/kwasi-kwarteng-great-gamble-pay-off |title=Will Kwasi Kwarteng's great gamble pay off? |work=] |last=Lambert |first=Harry |date=22 September 2022 |access-date=24 September 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923230553/https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/conservatives/2022/09/kwasi-kwarteng-great-gamble-pay-off |url-status=live}}</ref> He was a member of the team which won the BBC quiz show '']'' in 1995.<ref name="website"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blanchflower.org/uc/uctrin.html |title=Trinity on University Challenge |publisher=Sean Blanchflower |access-date=17 May 2010 |archive-date=14 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414095534/http://www.blanchflower.org/uc/uctrin.html |url-status=live}}</ref> At Cambridge, he was a member of the ], and has since returned to visit.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/sep/04/pizza-express-troubles-threaten-future-cambridge-university-pitt-club |title=Elite Cambridge club asks members for £50,000 to keep it open |last=Bland |first=Archie |date=4 September 2020 |work=The Guardian |access-date=2 October 2021 |issn=0956-1382 |archive-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602201749/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/sep/04/pizza-express-troubles-threaten-future-cambridge-university-pitt-club |url-status=live}}</ref> He was a ] for a year at ],<ref name=Neate /><ref>{{cite web |publisher=Kennedy Memorial Trust |url=https://www.kennedytrust.org.uk/display.aspx?id=1858&pid=0&tabId=230 |title=Full List of Kennedy Scholars |access-date=30 September 2022 |archive-date=30 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930221011/https://www.kennedytrust.org.uk/display.aspx?id=1858&pid=0&tabId=230 |url-status=live}}</ref> and then earned a ] degree in ] from the ] in 2000, with a thesis on the ].<ref>{{cite thesis |first=Kwasi Alfred Addo |last=Kwarteng |title=Political thought of the recoinage crisis of 1695–7 |degree=PhD |url=https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/251742 |id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.621890}} |publisher=University of Cambridge|oclc=894597679|website=cam.ac.uk |access-date=25 March 2018 |archive-date=13 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913040240/https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/251742 |url-status=live}} {{free access}}</ref>
After Conservative MP for Spelthorne ] became mired in controversy arising from the ], and announced his retirement from Parliament at the 2010 general election, Kwarteng was selected as Conservative candidate for Spelthorne at an ] in January 2010. He was described by a local paper as a "black ]"<ref name="staines news"/>. He was elected with a majority of 10,019 but was heckled by Liberal Democrats with shouts of "he was a scumbag" during his acceptance speech while paying tribute to his predecessor, who used his expenses to pay £100,000 to a company that was not registered.<ref>, The Independent, 8 May 2010</ref><ref>, Staines News, 7 May 2010</ref>

==Early career==
Before becoming an MP, Kwarteng worked as a columnist for '']'' and as a financial analyst at ] as well as at ] and the hedge fund ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Pickard |first=Jim |date=19 January 2021 |title=Kwasi Kwarteng, the free marketeer learning benefits of state action |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/3054c38a-4faf-4b2e-88d4-93faa55e6d10 |url-status=live |access-date=19 January 2021 |archive-date=19 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119040115/https://www.ft.com/content/3054c38a-4faf-4b2e-88d4-93faa55e6d10 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="x3"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Kwasi Kwarteng: free marketeer and Truss's ideological soulmate becomes chancellor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/06/kwasi-kwarteng-free-marketeer-and-truss-ideological-soulmate-becomes-chancellor |website=] |date=6 September 2022 |access-date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922191456/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/06/kwasi-kwarteng-free-marketeer-and-truss-ideological-soulmate-becomes-chancellor |url-status=live}}</ref> He wrote a book, ''Ghosts of Empire'', about the legacy of the ], published by ] in 2011.<ref name="website"/> He also co-authored ''Gridlock Nation'' with Jonathan Dupont in 2011, about the causes of and solutions to traffic congestion in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steven |last=Poole |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/07/steven-poole-non-fiction-choice-reviews |title=Et cetera: Steven Poole's non-fiction choice – reviews |work=The Guardian |date=7 October 2011 |access-date=1 November 2012 |location=London |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306155450/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/07/steven-poole-non-fiction-choice-reviews |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Early political career ===
Considered "a rising star on the right of the party" by 2015,<ref name="BBC33092329">{{cite news |date=11 June 2015 |title=Turn benefits into repayable loan, says Tory group |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33092329 |url-status=live |access-date=27 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150828010744/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33092329 |archive-date=28 August 2015}}</ref> Kwarteng initially became a ] candidate in the constituency of ] at the ]. He finished in third place, behind the incumbent ] MP ] and the ] candidate ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Election results for Brent East |date=5 May 2005 |url=https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=28&RPID=0 |publisher=Brent Council |access-date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923134628/https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=28&RPID=0 |url-status=live}}</ref> Kwarteng was chairman of the conservative think tank ] in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/open-weekend/kwasi-kwarteng |title=Kwasi Kwarteng, Conservative MP and author |work=The Guardian |date=2 February 2012 |access-date=25 September 2022 |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014201807/https://www.theguardian.com/open-weekend/kwasi-kwarteng |url-status=live}}</ref> In the same year, '']'' suggested that he could become the first black Conservative ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article696213.ece |title=Power couple behind the new Tory throne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727012401/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article696213.ece |archive-date=27 July 2008 |work=The Times |date=26 March 2006}}</ref> He was sixth on the Conservative list of candidates for the ] in the ], but was not elected, as the Conservatives obtained only three London-wide list seats.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/election-results/results-2008 |title=Results 2008 |access-date=24 September 2022 |publisher=London Elects |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925093757/https://www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/election-results/results-2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="upsetting">{{cite web |url=https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-kwasi-kwarteng-the-new-chancellor-who-has-been-unafraid-of-upsetting-his-party-12690759 |title=Who is Kwasi Kwarteng? The new chancellor who has been unafraid of upsetting his party |last=Scott |first=Jennifer |date=7 September 2022 |access-date=24 September 2022 |publisher=] |archive-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924113241/https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-kwasi-kwarteng-the-new-chancellor-who-has-been-unafraid-of-upsetting-his-party-12690759 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Parliamentary career==
=== 2010 election and tenure ===
] event in 2012]]
Kwarteng was selected as the Conservative candidate for ] in January 2010,<ref>{{cite web |title=Kwasi Kwarteng wins Spelthorne open primary |url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/kwasi-kwarteng-wins-spelthorne-open-4821406 |website=Surrey Live |date=23 January 2010 |access-date=15 October 2022 |archive-date=25 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025043054/https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/kwasi-kwarteng-wins-spelthorne-open-4821406 |url-status=live }}</ref> and won the seat with a majority of 10,019 votes (21.2%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/e34.stm |publisher=BBC News |access-date=24 September 2022 |title=Spelthorne |archive-date=23 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823070447/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/e34.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> Kwarteng did not vote on the backbench EU Referendum Bill in October 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/oct/26/eu-referendum-davidcameron |title=Naming the MPs who voted for an EU referendum |work=The Guardian |last=Evans |first=Lisa |date=26 October 2011 |access-date=10 January 2021 |archive-date=16 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516161149/https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/oct/26/eu-referendum-davidcameron |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013 he described the ] housing scheme as "inflationary".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/mar/22/housing-policy-wealthy-second-homes |title=Government's new housing policy 'can help wealthy buy second homes' |work=The Guardian |last=Jowit |first=Juliette |date=22 March 2013 |access-date=10 January 2021 |archive-date=12 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112090956/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/mar/22/housing-policy-wealthy-second-homes |url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2011 he registered that he would be paid "£10,000 on a half-yearly basis" for work as "Consultant to ]" in the ] Register of Members' Financial Interests. Only one payment appears to have been made.<ref>{{cite news |title=Private Eye did not say Kwasi Kwarteng was paid £20,000 a month by a hedge fund |url=https://fullfact.org/online/kwarteng-odey-hedge-fund/ |access-date=13 November 2022 |publisher=Full Fact}}</ref>

In 2014, his book, ''War and Gold: A Five-Hundred-Year History of Empires, Adventures and Debt'', was published. It is a history of capital and the enduring ability of money, when combined with speculation, to ruin societies.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/12/war-gold-500-year-history-study-money-society-kwarteng-review |title=War and Gold: A Five-Hundred-Year History of Empires, Adventures and Debt review – a comprehensive study of money and society |first=Anthony |last=Sattin |newspaper=] |date=12 May 2014 |access-date=12 December 2016 |archive-date=1 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101163610/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/12/war-gold-500-year-history-study-money-society-kwarteng-review |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, his next book, ''Thatcher's Trial: Six Months That Defined a Leader'', was published.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/thatchers-trial-six-months-that-defined-a-leader-by-kwasi-kwarteng-788sktq3dpx |work=The Times |date=26 September 2015 |last=Webster |first=Philip |title=Thatcher's Trial: Six Months That Defined a Leader by Kwasi Kwarteng |access-date=24 September 2022 |archive-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924175230/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/thatchers-trial-six-months-that-defined-a-leader-by-kwasi-kwarteng-788sktq3dpx |url-status=live}}</ref>

Kwarteng was re-elected at the ] with an increased majority of 14,152 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://electionresults.parliament.uk/election/2015-05-07/Results/Location/Constituency/Spelthorne/ |title=Spelthorne (Constituency) 2015 results |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=25 September 2022 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925093751/https://electionresults.parliament.uk/election/2015-05-07/Results/Location/Constituency/Spelthorne/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Kwarteng backed the UK's withdrawal from the ] in the ].<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/interviews/2016-07-10/brexiteers-celebration |first=Stuart |last=Reid |title=A Brexiteer's Celebration – a conversation with Kwasi Kwarteng |journal=Foreign Affairs |date=10 July 2016 |access-date=6 September 2016 |archive-date=20 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920090613/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/interviews/2016-07-10/brexiteers-celebration |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Early ministerial career (2017–2019) ===
At the snap ], Kwarteng was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 57.3% but a decreased majority of 13,425.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Spelthorne parliamentary constituency - Election 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000959 |via=www.bbc.com}}</ref> He was appointed ] to Chancellor of the Exchequer ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://conservativehome.com/2017/06/28/parliamentary-private-secretaries-full-list/ |title=Parliamentary Private Secretaries: full list |publisher=ConservativeHome |access-date=24 September 2022 |date=28 June 2017 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925094348/https://conservativehome.com/2017/06/28/parliamentary-private-secretaries-full-list/ |url-status=live}}</ref> On 16 November 2018, Kwarteng replaced ] as a minister in the ].<ref name="kwasiappoint">{{cite news |title=Stephen Barclay named new Brexit Secretary |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46241693 |url-status=live |publisher=BBC News |date=16 November 2018 |access-date=16 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118034205/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46241693 |archive-date=18 November 2018}}</ref>

Kwarteng supported ] in the ].<ref>{{cite news |archive-date=19 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190919020312/https://ig.ft.com/uk-prime-minister-leadership-contest/ |date=20 June 2019 |url=https://ig.ft.com/uk-prime-minister-leadership-contest/ |work=Financial Times |last1=Payne |first1=Sebastian |last2=Tilford |first2=Cale |last3=Kao |first3=Joanna |last4=Stabe |first4=Martin |title=UK's next prime minister — who are the lead candidates?}}</ref> After Johnson's appointment as Prime Minister, Kwarteng was appointed ] at the ] on 25 July 2019 along with ], a brother of the Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/24/boris-johnson-first-cabinet-whos-who |first1=Heather |last1=Stewart |first2=Rowena |last2=Mason |first3=Jessica |last3=Elgot |first4=Peter |last4=Walker |title=Who's who in Boris Johnson's first cabinet |work=The Guardian |date=25 July 2019 |access-date=25 July 2019 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205005316/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/24/boris-johnson-first-cabinet-whos-who |url-status=live}}</ref> He was appointed to the ] on the same day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orders Approved and Business Transacted at the Privy Council Held by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on 25th July 2019 |url=http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019-07-25-List-of-Business.pdf |date=2019 |publisher=Privy Council Office |access-date=30 July 2019 |archive-date=30 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730112009/http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019-07-25-List-of-Business.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

In September 2019, Kwarteng stated on '']'': "I'm not saying this, but, many people are saying that the judges are biased",<ref name=Neil/> after the ] ruled that Johnson's ] was illegal. Kwarteng added: "The extent to which lawyers and judges are interfering in politics is something that concerns many people." Defence Secretary ] and the then Housing Secretary ] distanced themselves from his comments and defended the judiciary. Opposition MPs, the chair of the ], and the chair of the ] criticised his comments.<ref name=Neil>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49670901 |title=Kwasi Kwarteng criticised for 'biased judges' comment |publisher=BBC News |date=12 September 2019 |access-date=12 September 2019 |archive-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912074504/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49670901 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/12/brexit-kwasi-kwarteng-criticised-for-biased-judges-comment |work=The Guardian |date=12 September 2019 |title=Brexit: Kwasi Kwarteng criticised for 'biased judges' comment |last=Mohdin |first=Aamna |access-date=25 September 2022 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925093751/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/12/brexit-kwasi-kwarteng-criticised-for-biased-judges-comment |url-status=live}}</ref>

At the ], Kwarteng was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 58.9% and an increased majority of 18,393.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spelthorne Parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000959 |access-date=13 December 2019 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Spelthorne Parliamentary Results - 12 December 2019 |url=https://www.spelthorne.gov.uk/article/18957/Spelthorne-Parliamentary-Results-12-December-2019 |access-date=13 December 2019 |website=Spelthorne Borough Council}}</ref>

=== Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2021–2022) ===
]
On 8 January 2021, as part of a mini-reshuffle, he replaced ] as ].<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/alok-sharma-becomes-full-time-cop26-president-and-kwasi-kwarteng-is-appointed-as-secretary-of-state-for-business |work=GOV.UK |title=Alok Sharma becomes full-time COP26 president and Kwasi Kwarteng is appointed as Secretary of State for Business |date=8 January 2021 |access-date=16 November 2021 |archive-date=8 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108171813/https://www.gov.uk/government/news/alok-sharma-becomes-full-time-cop26-president-and-kwasi-kwarteng-is-appointed-as-secretary-of-state-for-business |url-status=live}}</ref> He committed the department to cutting global emissions to stop climate change.<ref>{{cite web |last=Watts |first=Rob |date=20 April 2021 |title=UK commits to 'world's most ambitious target' for emissions cuts |url=https://www.upstreamonline.com/energy-transition/uk-commits-to-worlds-most-ambitious-target-for-emissions-cuts/2-1-998542 |url-status=live |access-date=10 May 2021 |work=Upstream Online |archive-date=10 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510034808/https://www.upstreamonline.com/energy-transition/uk-commits-to-worlds-most-ambitious-target-for-emissions-cuts/2-1-998542}}</ref>

====Dissolving ISC====
In March 2021, he was criticised for dissolving the Industrial Strategy Council, the advisory body seeking to regenerate Britain's regions.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/04/business-leaders-condemn-decision-axe-uk-industry-strategy-panel |title=UK business leaders condemn 'sad and bad' axing of industrial strategy panel |work=The Guardian |last=Inman |first=Phillip |date=4 March 2021 |access-date=4 January 2022 |archive-date=1 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201074456/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/04/business-leaders-condemn-decision-axe-uk-industry-strategy-panel |url-status=live}}</ref> In the days after the ] climate summit, Kwarteng met oil industry bosses to encourage them to continue drilling in the North Sea.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gosden |first=Emily |title=Kwasi Kwarteng courted oil bosses after Cop26 |work=The Times |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-courted-oil-bosses-after-cop26-6wkf0sdd8 |date=3 January 2022 |access-date=3 January 2022 |issn=0140-0460 |archive-date=3 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103005423/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-courted-oil-bosses-after-cop26-6wkf0sdd8 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In January 2022, while on a trip to ], Kwarteng accepted flights and hospitality from ], the majority state-owned energy firm. Kwarteng was also gifted a £300 Lenovo tablet. The ] department transparency data revealed that Kwarteng travelled to Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight costing the taxpayer £4,430. He also visited Aramco's ] oil field with the Saudi energy minister, although this was not logged in BEIS transparency records. Opposition politicians criticised Kwarteng for accepting the Saudi state's hospitality, particularly in light of their human rights record, and raised concerns over whether he broke the ministerial code.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/business-secretary-kwasi-kwarteng-flown-around-saudi-arabia-by-aramco-2022-7?r=US&IR=T |title=Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng travelled around Saudi Arabia on flights paid by energy giant Aramco |access-date=18 July 2022 |website=Business Insider |archive-date=30 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830161357/https://www.businessinsider.com/business-secretary-kwasi-kwarteng-flown-around-saudi-arabia-by-aramco-2022-7?r=US&IR=T |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 2021 gas crisis ====
{{main|2021 United Kingdom natural gas supplier crisis}}
]
From August 2021, high European wholesale ] prices caused some smaller domestic suppliers in the United Kingdom to go out of business. In September 2021, the ] caused serious disruption to the supply of road fuel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fuel crisis: Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng 'not guaranteeing anything' over impact on Christmas |access-date=16 November 2021 |last=Morris |first=Sophie |url=https://news.sky.com/story/fuel-crisis-business-secretary-kwasi-kwarteng-not-guaranteeing-anything-over-impact-on-christmas-12421137 |publisher=Sky News |date=29 September 2021 |archive-date=30 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930073012/https://news.sky.com/story/fuel-crisis-business-secretary-kwasi-kwarteng-not-guaranteeing-anything-over-impact-on-christmas-12421137 |url-status=live}}</ref> Kwarteng said that "There is no question of the lights going out, of people being unable to heat their homes. There will be no ], or a throwback to the 1970s."<ref>{{cite news |title=Where does the UK get its gas and is it facing a shortage this winter? |access-date=16 November 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58637094 |work=] |date=21 September 2021 |archive-date=19 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019043638/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58637094 |url-status=live}}</ref> He also said that the government would not rescue failed companies.<ref>{{cite news |title=UK gas supply issues will not see 'lights going out', business secretary Kwarteng says |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/uk-gas-supply-issues-will-not-see-lights-going-out-business-secretary-kwarteng-says-1.4678707 |newspaper=] |last=Staunton |first=Denis |date=20 September 2021 |access-date=16 November 2021 |archive-date=28 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928185354/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/uk-gas-supply-issues-will-not-see-lights-going-out-business-secretary-kwarteng-says-1.4678707 |url-status=live}}</ref> ], Labour's shadow business secretary, accused Kwarteng of being complacent.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kwasi Kwarteng vetoes subsidies for gas supply giants to take on rivals' clients |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/sep/23/kwasi-kwarteng-vetoes-subsidies-for-gas-supply-giants-to-take-on-rivals-clients |work=The Guardian |last=Ambrose |first=Jillian |date=23 September 2021 |access-date=16 November 2021 |archive-date=18 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018172530/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/sep/23/kwasi-kwarteng-vetoes-subsidies-for-gas-supply-giants-to-take-on-rivals-clients |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Role in the Owen Paterson scandal ====
Kwarteng was an outspoken supporter of ], who had been found by the ] to have committed "an egregious case of paid advocacy".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-lawmaker-should-be-suspended-over-egregious-paid-lobbying-watchdog-2021-10-26/ |title=UK lawmaker should be suspended over 'egregious' paid lobbying – watchdog |work=Reuters |date=26 October 2021 |access-date=16 November 2021 |archive-date=17 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117203455/https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-lawmaker-should-be-suspended-over-egregious-paid-lobbying-watchdog-2021-10-26/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/290/committee-on-standards/news/158246/committee-on-standards-publish-report-on-the-conduct-of-rt-hon-owen-paterson-mp/ |title=Committee on Standards publish report on the conduct of Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP |publisher=UK Parliament |date=26 October 2021 |access-date=15 October 2022 |archive-date=26 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026112117/https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/290/committee-on-standards/news/158246/committee-on-standards-publish-report-on-the-conduct-of-rt-hon-owen-paterson-mp/ }}</ref> In reaction to this ruling, Kwarteng called for the independent ], ], to "consider her position". The government later withdrew its support for Paterson, who resigned as an MP. The opposition called for an investigation into Kwarteng, claiming he may have breached the ministerial code.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.sky.com/story/owen-paterson-resignation-labour-call-for-investigation-into-kwasi-kwartengs-comments-to-sky-news-about-standards-watchdog-12460151 |title=Owen Paterson resignation: Labour call for investigation into Kwasi Kwarteng's comments to Sky News about standards watchdog |publisher=Sky News |last=Morris |first=Sophie |date=4 November 2021 |access-date=16 November 2021 |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118080938/https://news.sky.com/story/owen-paterson-resignation-labour-call-for-investigation-into-kwasi-kwartengs-comments-to-sky-news-about-standards-watchdog-12460151 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 15 November 2021, Kwarteng published a letter of apology to Stone, in which he said he "did not mean to express doubt about your ability to discharge your role" and apologised for "any upset or distress my choice of words may have caused".<ref>{{cite news |title=Minister Kwasi Kwarteng sorry for upset caused by Standards Commissioner remarks |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59298861 |access-date=16 November 2021 |work=BBC News |date=15 November 2021 |archive-date=16 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116011305/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59298861 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Chancellor of the Exchequer===
{{Further information|September 2022 United Kingdom mini-budget}}
]
After Johnson resigned in 2022, Kwarteng supported ]'s bid to become Conservative leader. Following Truss's appointment as Prime Minister, she appointed Kwarteng as ]. He was the first black Chancellor.<ref name=":2" /> On 23 September 2022, he announced a set of economic policies named "The Growth Plan 2022" in what the Treasury described as a "fiscal event"; this was dubbed a "]" by the media. He refused to allow the ] to assess the economic impact of the budget and provide a forecast.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/20/kwasi-kwarteng-urged-to-allow-release-of-obr-forecasts-with-mini-budget |title=Kwasi Kwarteng refuses to let OBR release forecasts with mini-budget |work=The Guardian |date=20 September 2022 |access-date=24 September 2022 |last1=Mason |first1=Rowena |last2=Inman |first2=Phillip |archive-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924112120/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/20/kwasi-kwarteng-urged-to-allow-release-of-obr-forecasts-with-mini-budget |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="hmt-202209">{{cite book |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105985/HMT_Autumn_Statement_2022_PRINT.pdf |title=The Growth Plan 2022 |id=CP 743 |publisher=HM Treasury |via=gov.uk |isbn=978-1-5286-3688-9 |date=September 2022 |access-date=13 October 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923195025/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105985/HMT_Autumn_Statement_2022_PRINT.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>

Among the policies announced by Kwarteng was a cut in the basic rate of ] from 20% to 19% to start in April 2023, the abolition of the 45% higher rate of income tax in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the lifting of the ] threshold, the freezing of energy bills, the reversal of the increase in ] from April 2022, the abolition of the proposed ], and the scrapping of the limit on bankers' bonuses.<ref>{{cite web |title=At a glance: What's in the mini-budget? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62920969 |website=BBC News |access-date=23 September 2022 |date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923041813/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62920969 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Partington |first1=Richard |last2=Allegretti |first2=Aubrey |title=Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-budget: key points at a glance |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/23/kwasi-kwarteng-mini-budget-key-points-at-a-glance |website=The Guardian |access-date=23 September 2022 |date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923084315/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/23/kwasi-kwarteng-mini-budget-key-points-at-a-glance |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sillars |first=James |title=Mini-budget: The key announcements from the chancellor at a glance |url=https://news.sky.com/story/mini-budget-the-key-announcements-from-the-chancellor-at-a-glance-12703687 |publisher=Sky News |date=23 September 2022|access-date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014201808/https://news.sky.com/story/mini-budget-the-key-announcements-from-the-chancellor-at-a-glance-12703687 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The ] director ] called the plan "the biggest package of tax cuts in 50 years" and said that it "seems to be to borrow large sums at increasingly expensive rates, put government debt on an unsustainable rising path, and hope that we get better growth".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ifs.org.uk/articles/mini-budget-response |title=Mini-Budget response |publisher=Institute for Fiscal Studies |access-date=24 September 2022 |date=23 September 2022 |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014201811/https://ifs.org.uk/articles/mini-budget-response |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/42ac5639-b2f6-46ac-b0e6-441cfdb3170c |title=High earners reap the rewards as Kwarteng ditches redistribution |date=23 September 2022 |access-date=25 September 2022 |last=Strauss |first=Delphine |work=Financial Times |archive-date=24 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924225747/https://www.ft.com/content/42ac5639-b2f6-46ac-b0e6-441cfdb3170c |url-status=live}}</ref> The following week, ] fell to its lowest-ever level against the US dollar,<ref>{{cite web |last=Sillars |first=James |date=26 September 2022 |title=Pound sank to record low against the dollar and UK economy predicted to flatline next year – as PM and chancellor defend mini-budget |url=https://news.sky.com/story/pound-sinks-to-record-low-against-the-dollar-as-chancellor-and-prime-minister-defend-mini-budget-12705529 |access-date=29 September 2022 |publisher=Sky News |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929093110/https://news.sky.com/story/pound-sinks-to-record-low-against-the-dollar-as-chancellor-and-prime-minister-defend-mini-budget-12705529 |url-status=live}}</ref> and turmoil in government bond prices led the Bank of England to launch an emergency bond buying programme. This caused house mortgage lenders to withdraw over 40% of their products, with other products repriced upwards.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bruce |first1=Andy |last2=Milliken |first2=David |last3=Cruise |first3=Sinead |date=28 September 2022 |title=Bank of England moves to calm bond market rout after tax cut storm |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/imf-moodys-censure-uk-policy-bank-england-says-will-act-big-2022-09-28/ |access-date=28 September 2022 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928065414/https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/imf-moodys-censure-uk-policy-bank-england-says-will-act-big-2022-09-28/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="guardian-20220929">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/sep/29/mortgages-withdrawn-housing-market-mini-budget-lenders-economic-uncertainty |title=More than 40% of mortgages withdrawn as market reels after mini-budget |last=Inman |first=Phillip |newspaper=The Guardian |date=29 September 2022 |access-date=14 October 2022 |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014023304/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/sep/29/mortgages-withdrawn-housing-market-mini-budget-lenders-economic-uncertainty |url-status=live }}</ref> The ] cautioned that the measures would increase inequality.<ref>{{cite web |title=IMF warns UK against mini-budget that will 'likely increase inequality' |url=https://news.sky.com/story/imf-warns-uk-against-mini-budget-that-will-likely-increase-inequality-12706612 |access-date=28 September 2022 |publisher=Sky News |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928000924/https://news.sky.com/story/imf-warns-uk-against-mini-budget-that-will-likely-increase-inequality-12706612 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Following criticism from several Conservative MPs, including ] and ], Kwarteng said on 3 October 2022 that the government would not pursue the plan to abolish the 45% higher rate of income tax paid by people earning over £150,000 a year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kwasi Kwarteng U-turns on plans to scrap 45p tax rate |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63114279 |work=BBC News |date=3 October 2022 |access-date=3 October 2022 |archive-date=3 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003072333/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63114279 |url-status=live}}</ref> Kwarteng said the plan had become a "distraction from our overriding mission to tackle the challenges facing the country".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-63114409 |title=Chancellor defends income tax cut U-turn |work=BBC News |date=3 October 2022 |access-date=3 October 2022 |archive-date=3 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003072338/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-63114409 |url-status=live}}</ref> He acknowledged in an interview that there was "some turbulence" after his mini-budget but said it was a "very dicey situation globally", and when questioned on 13 October whether he would remain as chancellor, Kwarteng said he was "not going anywhere".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kwasi Kwarteng: I am not going anywhere |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-63246031 |access-date=2022-11-10}}</ref>

=== Dismissal ===
Kwarteng was dismissed as Chancellor on 14 October after only 38 days in post. This made him the second shortest-serving Chancellor after ], who died a month after taking office. Kwarteng was succeeded by ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Peter |date=2022-10-14 |title=Liz Truss appoints Jeremy Hunt as chancellor after sacking Kwarteng |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/14/liz-truss-appoints-jeremy-hunt-as-chancellor-after-sacking-kwarteng |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=] |language=en |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014200854/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/14/liz-truss-appoints-jeremy-hunt-as-chancellor-after-sacking-kwarteng |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/14/kwasi-kwarteng-logical-choice-chancellor-hubris-downfall |work=The Guardian |title=Kwasi Kwarteng was logical choice as chancellor but hubris was his downfall |last=Walker |first=Peter |date=14 October 2022 |access-date=15 October 2022 |archive-date=14 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014234044/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/14/kwasi-kwarteng-logical-choice-chancellor-hubris-downfall |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following ] and ]'s appointment as Prime Minister, Kwarteng said in a November 2022 interview that he warned Truss that she was "going too fast" with her ill-fated economic plans. Kwarteng stated he had urged her to "slow down" after the mini-budget. He maintained he told Truss it was "mad" to sack him, and if she did she would last just "three or four weeks Little did I know it was only going to be six days."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-11-10 |title=I told Liz Truss she was going too fast, says Kwasi Kwarteng |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63592909 |access-date=2022-11-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kwasi Kwarteng 'I told Liz Truss we should slow down after mini-budget' |url=https://news.sky.com/story/kwasi-kwarteng-i-told-liz-truss-we-should-slow-down-after-mini-budget-12744066 |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |author=Tom Newton Dunn |author2=Oliver Wright |title=Kwasi Kwarteng: I warned Liz Truss over her radical reforms |newspaper=] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-talk-tv-interview-liz-truss-z0zg5fgpk |url-access=subscription |access-date=2022-11-10 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> In December 2022 Kwarteng said he regretted having been "too impatient" over the mini-budget, and that there was "no tactical subtlety whatsoever. People got carried away, myself included."<ref> '']''</ref> Kwarteng maintains he and Truss were too rushed to consider economic and political results from their policies. Kwarteng maintains Truss and her team lost perspective over the budget and its political or financial results.<ref> '']''</ref>

Kwarteng received a severance payment from the Treasury of £16,876 following his resignation.

In February 2024, Kwarteng announced that he would not seek re-election as an MP at the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Kwasi Kwarteng to stand down at next election |url=https://news.sky.com/story/kwasi-kwarteng-to-stand-down-at-next-election-13065210 |website=] |access-date=6 February 2024 |date=6 February 2024}}</ref>

In May 2024, Kwarteng was a guest on the '']'' podcast by ] and ].

== Political views ==
]
Kwarteng is considered a member of the ] of the Conservative Party,<ref>{{cite web |last=Abbey |first=Nels |title=Kwasi Kwarteng Is a Brilliant Man in a Bad Role |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/22/kwasi-kwarteng-is-a-brilliant-man-in-a-bad-role/ |date=22 May 2021|access-date=5 August 2022 |website=Foreign Policy |archive-date=30 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830161358/https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/22/kwasi-kwarteng-is-a-brilliant-man-in-a-bad-role/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and is a member of the ].

=== Racial issues and colonialism ===
Kwarteng's views on ] have been described by a ] writer as "nuanced", stating that modern representation on historical events must be taken within historical context, "I think people should look at history with a bit more humility, and a little bit more critical inquiry. It's very difficult not to have lots of preconceptions and lots of strongly held beliefs."<ref>{{cite news |first=Georgina |last=Bailey |date=9 July 2021 |title=Kwasi Kwarteng MP: 'People should look at history with a bit more humility' |url=https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/kwasi-kwarteng-mp-people-should-look-at-history-with-a-bit-more-humility |access-date=5 August 2022 |work=Politicshome.com |archive-date=30 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830161400/https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/kwasi-kwarteng-mp-people-should-look-at-history-with-a-bit-more-humility |url-status=live}}</ref>

When asked about his thoughts on removal of British Empire-era statues and monuments, including ] slave trader ], Kwarteng called these "acts of vandalism". In an interview, Kwarteng stated many supporters of the ] movement and critics of ] have a "cartoon-like view" of the past, arguing for a greater understanding of the complexities of British history.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 January 2021 |title=Business secretary says much of debate around Black Lives Matter has 'kind of cartoon-like view' of past |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/kwasi-kwarteng-black-lives-matter-blm-b1794712.html|first=Kate|last=Devlin |access-date=5 August 2022 |newspaper=The Independent}}</ref> Reactions to his stances on racial and colonialism issues have ranged from support to opposition. On 26 September 2022, ] MP ] was suspended after calling Kwarteng "]" in response to his comments.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-09-27 |title=Rupa Huq apologises to Kwasi Kwarteng for 'ill-judged' comments |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/27/rupa-huq-has-labour-whip-suspended-after-kwarteng-comments |access-date=2022-10-23 |first=Aubrey|last=Allegretti|newspaper=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

=== Economic issues ===
In August 2012, Kwarteng co-authored a book with four fellow Conservative MPs including ], titled '']''.<ref>{{cite web |date=17 August 2012 |title=Tackle 'lazy' Britain, fellow Tories tell David Cameron |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tackle-lazy-britain-fellow-tories-tell-david-cameron-8056787.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161207135125/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tackle-lazy-britain-fellow-tories-tell-david-cameron-8056787.html |archive-date=7 December 2016 |access-date=3 April 2018 |work=London Evening Standard}}</ref> The book argues for a radical shrinking of the ] in order "to return it to the contributory principle envisioned by its founder ] – that you get benefits in return for contributions".<ref name="BBC33092329" />

==Personal life==
Kwarteng is described by friends as an "intensely private" person.<ref name="Amiable geek" /> He was previously in a relationship with former Conservative Home Secretary ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/amber-gives-green-light-to-suitors-hhn02r537 |title=Amber gives green light to suitors |first=Roland |last=White |work=The Sunday Times |date=23 September 2018 |access-date=13 November 2020 |archive-date=2 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802084608/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/amber-gives-green-light-to-suitors-hhn02r537 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He married the ] solicitor Harriet Edwards in December 2019.<ref name="x3"/> Their daughter was born in 2021.<ref>{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=] |title=Net Zero Strategy and Heat and Buildings Strategy |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-10-19/debates/0012200A-2603-4AD9-B768-5C0E38631200/NetZeroStrategyAndHeatAndBuildingsStrategy |house=] |date=19 October 2021 |column= |speaker=] |position=]}} {{Cite web |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-10-19/debates/0012200A-2603-4AD9-B768-5C0E38631200/NetZeroStrategyAndHeatAndBuildingsStrategy |title=Net Zero Strategy and Heat and Buildings Strategy – Tuesday 19 October 2021 – Hansard – UK Parliament |access-date=19 October 2021 |archive-date=20 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020084622/https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-10-19/debates/0012200A-2603-4AD9-B768-5C0E38631200/NetZeroStrategyAndHeatAndBuildingsStrategy |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> He has lived in ], and in January 2022 purchased a house in ].<ref name="Amiable geek" /> He is a member of the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sylvester |first1=Rachel |title=The real Kwasi Kwarteng — by the insiders who know him best |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-profile-chancellor-analysis-people-who-know-him-6cbj3f5kl |access-date=28 September 2022 |work=The Times |date=28 September 2022 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928063505/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/kwasi-kwarteng-profile-chancellor-analysis-people-who-know-him-6cbj3f5kl |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Publications==
*{{Cite book |last=Kwarteng |first=Kwasi |title=Ghosts of empire: Britain's legacies in the modern world |date=2011 |isbn=978-1-4088-2290-6 |publisher=] |location=London |oclc=904756788}}
*{{Cite book |last=Kwarteng |first=Kwasi |title=After the Coalition. |date=2011 |publisher=Biteback |others=], ], ] and ] |isbn=978-1-84954-212-8 |location=London |oclc=771875676}}
*{{Cite book |last=Kwarteng |first=Kwasi |title=Gridlock nation: why Britain's transport systems are heading towards gridlock and what we can do to stop it |date=2011 |publisher=Biteback |others=Jonathan Dupont |isbn=978-1-84954-112-1 |location=London |oclc=751663991}}
*{{cite book |title=Britannia Unchained: Global Lessons for Growth and Prosperity |publisher=] |location=Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire |oclc=809314985 |year=2012 |author=Kwasi Kwarteng |author2=] |author3=] |author4=] |author5=] |isbn=978-1-137-03223-2 |title-link=Britannia Unchained}}
*{{Cite book |last=Kwarteng |first=Kwasi |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/872709558 |title=War and gold: a five-hundred-year history of empires, adventures and debt |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-4088-4815-9 |publisher=] |location=London |oclc=872709558}}
*{{Cite book |last=Kwarteng |first=Kwasi |title=Thatcher's trial: six months that defined a leader |date=2015 |isbn=978-1-4088-5917-9 |publisher=] |location=London |oclc=919896895}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{commons category}}
* ''official constituency website''
{{Wikiquote}}
* at ''Conservative Home''
{{Portal|Politics|Conservatism|United Kingdom|Biography}}
* Conservative Party profile
*{{official website|kwasi4spelthorne.org.uk}}
*
*{{UK MP links |parliament=4134 |publicwhip= |theywork= }}
*{{MPLinksUK | hansard = mr-kwasi-kwarteng | guardian = 9148/kwasi-kwarteng | publicwhip = Kwasi_Kwarteng | theywork = kwasi_kwarteng | record = Kwasi-Kwarteng/Spelthorne/1270 | bbc = 35251.stm | journalisted = }}
* at ''Conservative Home''
*


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Latest revision as of 02:47, 20 December 2024

"Kwarteng" redirects here. For the name, see Kwarteng (surname). British politician (born 1975)

The Right HonourableKwasi Kwarteng
Official portrait, 2022
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office
6 September 2022 – 14 October 2022
Prime MinisterLiz Truss
Preceded byNadhim Zahawi
Succeeded byJeremy Hunt
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
In office
8 January 2021 – 6 September 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byAlok Sharma
Succeeded byJacob Rees-Mogg
Junior ministerial offices
2018–2021
Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth
In office
24 July 2019 – 8 January 2021
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byClaire Perry
Succeeded byAnne-Marie Trevelyan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
In office
16 November 2018 – 24 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded bySuella Braverman
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Member of Parliament
for Spelthorne
In office
6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Preceded byDavid Wilshire
Succeeded byLincoln Jopp
Personal details
BornAkwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng
(1975-05-26) 26 May 1975 (age 49)
London, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse Harriet Edwards ​(m. 2019)
Children1
EducationEton College
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge (BA, PhD)
Signature
WebsiteCampaign website
Academic background
ThesisThe political thought of the recoinage crisis of 1695–7 (2000)
Kwasi Kwarteng's voice Kwarteng promotes The Growth Plan, dubbed a "mini-budget" by the media
Recorded 29 September 2022

Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng (born 26 May 1975) is a British politician who served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from September to October 2022 under Liz Truss and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from 2021 to 2022 under Boris Johnson. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Spelthorne in Surrey from 2010 to 2024.

Kwarteng was born in London to Ghanaian immigrant parents and was educated at St Paul's Juniors, Eton College and the University of Cambridge where he was a student at Trinity College, Cambridge. He worked as a columnist for The Daily Telegraph and as a financial analyst before standing for election to the House of Commons. As a backbencher, Kwarteng co-authored a number of papers and books, including After the Coalition (2011) and Britannia Unchained (2012). In November 2018, Kwarteng was appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state for Exiting the European Union by Theresa May. After May resigned in 2019, Kwarteng supported Boris Johnson's bid to become leader of the Conservative Party. Following Johnson's appointment as prime minister, he appointed Kwarteng as the minister of state for Business, Energy and Clean Growth. In January 2021, Kwarteng was promoted to the office of secretary of state for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, a role he retained throughout the remainder of Johnson's premiership.

After Johnson resigned in 2022, Kwarteng supported Truss's bid to become Conservative leader. Following Truss's appointment as prime minister, she appointed Kwarteng as Chancellor of the Exchequer, becoming the first black chancellor. On 23 September, Kwarteng announced various tax cuts in a mini-budget that was widely criticised and which caused the pound sterling to fall to its lowest-ever level against the United States dollar. Kwarteng was dismissed as chancellor on 14 October after 38 days, making him the second-shortest-serving holder of the office. He was succeeded by Jeremy Hunt, who was retained by Rishi Sunak following Truss's resignation on 25 October. Kwarteng stood down as an MP at the 2024 general election.

Early life and education

Akwasi Addo Alfred Kwarteng was born in the London Borough of Waltham Forest on 26 May 1975, the only child of Alfred K. Kwarteng and Charlotte Boaitey-Kwarteng, who had both emigrated from Ghana as students in the 1960s. His mother is a barrister and his father an economist in the Commonwealth Secretariat.

After starting school at a state primary school in Waltham Forest, Kwarteng was then privately educated, firstly attending Colet Court, an independent preparatory school in London, where he won the Harrow History Prize in 1988.

Kwarteng continued his private education at Eton College, where he was a King's Scholar and was awarded the Newcastle Scholarship prize.

He then studied classics and history at the University of Cambridge as a student of Trinity College, Cambridge, matriculating in 1993. He achieved a double first class degree, and twice won the Browne Medal. He was a member of the team which won the BBC quiz show University Challenge in 1995. At Cambridge, he was a member of the University Pitt Club, and has since returned to visit. He was a Kennedy Scholar for a year at Harvard University, and then earned a PhD degree in economic history from the University of Cambridge in 2000, with a thesis on the recoinage crisis of 1695–97.

Early career

Before becoming an MP, Kwarteng worked as a columnist for The Daily Telegraph and as a financial analyst at JPMorgan Chase as well as at WestLB and the hedge fund Odey Asset Management. He wrote a book, Ghosts of Empire, about the legacy of the British Empire, published by Bloomsbury in 2011. He also co-authored Gridlock Nation with Jonathan Dupont in 2011, about the causes of and solutions to traffic congestion in Britain.

Early political career

Considered "a rising star on the right of the party" by 2015, Kwarteng initially became a Conservative candidate in the constituency of Brent East at the 2005 general election. He finished in third place, behind the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather and the Labour candidate Yasmin Qureshi. Kwarteng was chairman of the conservative think tank Bow Group in 2006. In the same year, The Times suggested that he could become the first black Conservative cabinet minister. He was sixth on the Conservative list of candidates for the London Assembly in the 2008 London Assembly election, but was not elected, as the Conservatives obtained only three London-wide list seats.

Parliamentary career

2010 election and tenure

Kwarteng at a Policy Exchange event in 2012

Kwarteng was selected as the Conservative candidate for Spelthorne in January 2010, and won the seat with a majority of 10,019 votes (21.2%). Kwarteng did not vote on the backbench EU Referendum Bill in October 2011. In 2013 he described the Help to Buy housing scheme as "inflationary".

In March 2011 he registered that he would be paid "£10,000 on a half-yearly basis" for work as "Consultant to Odey Asset Management" in the House of Commons Register of Members' Financial Interests. Only one payment appears to have been made.

In 2014, his book, War and Gold: A Five-Hundred-Year History of Empires, Adventures and Debt, was published. It is a history of capital and the enduring ability of money, when combined with speculation, to ruin societies. In 2015, his next book, Thatcher's Trial: Six Months That Defined a Leader, was published.

Kwarteng was re-elected at the 2015 general election with an increased majority of 14,152 votes. Kwarteng backed the UK's withdrawal from the European Union in the 2016 referendum.

Early ministerial career (2017–2019)

At the snap 2017 general election, Kwarteng was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 57.3% but a decreased majority of 13,425. He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond. On 16 November 2018, Kwarteng replaced Suella Braverman as a minister in the Department for Exiting the EU.

Kwarteng supported Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election. After Johnson's appointment as Prime Minister, Kwarteng was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 25 July 2019 along with Jo Johnson, a brother of the Prime Minister. He was appointed to the Privy Council on the same day.

In September 2019, Kwarteng stated on The Andrew Neil Show: "I'm not saying this, but, many people are saying that the judges are biased", after the Court of Session ruled that Johnson's prorogation of parliament was illegal. Kwarteng added: "The extent to which lawyers and judges are interfering in politics is something that concerns many people." Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and the then Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick distanced themselves from his comments and defended the judiciary. Opposition MPs, the chair of the Bar Council, and the chair of the Law Society of England and Wales criticised his comments.

At the 2019 general election, Kwarteng was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 58.9% and an increased majority of 18,393.

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (2021–2022)

Kwarteng as Business Secretary, on 11 January 2021

On 8 January 2021, as part of a mini-reshuffle, he replaced Alok Sharma as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He committed the department to cutting global emissions to stop climate change.

Dissolving ISC

In March 2021, he was criticised for dissolving the Industrial Strategy Council, the advisory body seeking to regenerate Britain's regions. In the days after the COP26 climate summit, Kwarteng met oil industry bosses to encourage them to continue drilling in the North Sea.

In January 2022, while on a trip to Saudi Arabia, Kwarteng accepted flights and hospitality from Saudi Aramco, the majority state-owned energy firm. Kwarteng was also gifted a £300 Lenovo tablet. The BEIS department transparency data revealed that Kwarteng travelled to Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight costing the taxpayer £4,430. He also visited Aramco's Shaybah oil field with the Saudi energy minister, although this was not logged in BEIS transparency records. Opposition politicians criticised Kwarteng for accepting the Saudi state's hospitality, particularly in light of their human rights record, and raised concerns over whether he broke the ministerial code.

2021 gas crisis

Main article: 2021 United Kingdom natural gas supplier crisis
Kwarteng's official Cabinet portrait, September 2022

From August 2021, high European wholesale natural gas prices caused some smaller domestic suppliers in the United Kingdom to go out of business. In September 2021, the fuel supply crisis caused serious disruption to the supply of road fuel. Kwarteng said that "There is no question of the lights going out, of people being unable to heat their homes. There will be no three-day working week, or a throwback to the 1970s." He also said that the government would not rescue failed companies. Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow business secretary, accused Kwarteng of being complacent.

Role in the Owen Paterson scandal

Kwarteng was an outspoken supporter of Owen Paterson, who had been found by the Commons Select Committee on Standards to have committed "an egregious case of paid advocacy". In reaction to this ruling, Kwarteng called for the independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, to "consider her position". The government later withdrew its support for Paterson, who resigned as an MP. The opposition called for an investigation into Kwarteng, claiming he may have breached the ministerial code.

On 15 November 2021, Kwarteng published a letter of apology to Stone, in which he said he "did not mean to express doubt about your ability to discharge your role" and apologised for "any upset or distress my choice of words may have caused".

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Further information: September 2022 United Kingdom mini-budget
Kwarteng's official chancellorship portrait

After Johnson resigned in 2022, Kwarteng supported Liz Truss's bid to become Conservative leader. Following Truss's appointment as Prime Minister, she appointed Kwarteng as Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was the first black Chancellor. On 23 September 2022, he announced a set of economic policies named "The Growth Plan 2022" in what the Treasury described as a "fiscal event"; this was dubbed a "mini-budget" by the media. He refused to allow the Office for Budget Responsibility to assess the economic impact of the budget and provide a forecast.

Among the policies announced by Kwarteng was a cut in the basic rate of income tax from 20% to 19% to start in April 2023, the abolition of the 45% higher rate of income tax in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the lifting of the stamp duty threshold, the freezing of energy bills, the reversal of the increase in National Insurance from April 2022, the abolition of the proposed Health and Social Care Levy, and the scrapping of the limit on bankers' bonuses.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson called the plan "the biggest package of tax cuts in 50 years" and said that it "seems to be to borrow large sums at increasingly expensive rates, put government debt on an unsustainable rising path, and hope that we get better growth". The following week, sterling fell to its lowest-ever level against the US dollar, and turmoil in government bond prices led the Bank of England to launch an emergency bond buying programme. This caused house mortgage lenders to withdraw over 40% of their products, with other products repriced upwards. The International Monetary Fund cautioned that the measures would increase inequality.

Following criticism from several Conservative MPs, including Michael Gove and Grant Shapps, Kwarteng said on 3 October 2022 that the government would not pursue the plan to abolish the 45% higher rate of income tax paid by people earning over £150,000 a year. Kwarteng said the plan had become a "distraction from our overriding mission to tackle the challenges facing the country". He acknowledged in an interview that there was "some turbulence" after his mini-budget but said it was a "very dicey situation globally", and when questioned on 13 October whether he would remain as chancellor, Kwarteng said he was "not going anywhere".

Dismissal

Kwarteng was dismissed as Chancellor on 14 October after only 38 days in post. This made him the second shortest-serving Chancellor after Iain Macleod, who died a month after taking office. Kwarteng was succeeded by Jeremy Hunt.

Following Truss's resignation and Rishi Sunak's appointment as Prime Minister, Kwarteng said in a November 2022 interview that he warned Truss that she was "going too fast" with her ill-fated economic plans. Kwarteng stated he had urged her to "slow down" after the mini-budget. He maintained he told Truss it was "mad" to sack him, and if she did she would last just "three or four weeks Little did I know it was only going to be six days." In December 2022 Kwarteng said he regretted having been "too impatient" over the mini-budget, and that there was "no tactical subtlety whatsoever. People got carried away, myself included." Kwarteng maintains he and Truss were too rushed to consider economic and political results from their policies. Kwarteng maintains Truss and her team lost perspective over the budget and its political or financial results.

Kwarteng received a severance payment from the Treasury of £16,876 following his resignation.

In February 2024, Kwarteng announced that he would not seek re-election as an MP at the 2024 general election.

In May 2024, Kwarteng was a guest on the Leading podcast by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart.

Political views

Kwarteng in 2014

Kwarteng is considered a member of the right wing of the Conservative Party, and is a member of the Free Enterprise Group.

Racial issues and colonialism

Kwarteng's views on colonialism have been described by a PoliticsHome writer as "nuanced", stating that modern representation on historical events must be taken within historical context, "I think people should look at history with a bit more humility, and a little bit more critical inquiry. It's very difficult not to have lots of preconceptions and lots of strongly held beliefs."

When asked about his thoughts on removal of British Empire-era statues and monuments, including that of slave trader Edward Colston, Kwarteng called these "acts of vandalism". In an interview, Kwarteng stated many supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement and critics of British imperialism have a "cartoon-like view" of the past, arguing for a greater understanding of the complexities of British history. Reactions to his stances on racial and colonialism issues have ranged from support to opposition. On 26 September 2022, Labour Party MP Rupa Huq was suspended after calling Kwarteng "superficially black" in response to his comments.

Economic issues

In August 2012, Kwarteng co-authored a book with four fellow Conservative MPs including Liz Truss, titled Britannia Unchained. The book argues for a radical shrinking of the welfare state in order "to return it to the contributory principle envisioned by its founder Sir William Beveridge – that you get benefits in return for contributions".

Personal life

Kwarteng is described by friends as an "intensely private" person. He was previously in a relationship with former Conservative Home Secretary Amber Rudd. He married the City solicitor Harriet Edwards in December 2019. Their daughter was born in 2021. He has lived in Bayswater, and in January 2022 purchased a house in Greenwich. He is a member of the Garrick Club.

Publications

Notes

  1. Perry went on leave of absence from 20 May 2019 with Chris Skidmore taking over in the interim until he was replaced by Kwarteng when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019.

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External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded byDavid Wilshire Member of Parliament
for Spelthorne

2010–2024
Succeeded byLincoln Jopp
Political offices
Preceded bySuella Braverman Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
2018–2019
Position abolished
Preceded byClaire Perry O'Neill Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth
2019–2021
Succeeded byAnne-Marie Trevelyan
Preceded byAlok Sharma Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
2021–2022
Succeeded byJacob Rees-Mogg
Preceded byNadhim Zahawi Chancellor of the Exchequer
2022
Succeeded byJeremy Hunt
Chancellors of the exchequer
England
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United Kingdom
Italic: Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer, as Lord Chief Justice
Truss Cabinet
Cabinet membersLiz Truss Government Coat of Arms.
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    Cabinet membersBoris Johnson Government Coat of Arms.
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  • Jacob Rees-Mogg
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